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launched by the International Labour Organisation in 1976 at the request of the International Labour
Conference and after extensive consultations with member States.
PIACT is designed to promote or support action by member States to set and attain definite objectives
aiming at “making work more human”. The Programme is thus concerned with improving the quality of
working life in all its aspects: for example, the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases, a wider
application of the principles of ergonomics, the arrangement of working time, the improvement of the
content and organisation of work and of conditions of work in general, a greater concern for the human
element in the transfer of technology. To achieve these aims, PIACT makes use of and coordinates the
traditional means of ILO action, including:
– the preparation and revision of international labour standards;
– operational activities, including the dispatch of multidisciplinary teams to assist member States on
request;
– tripartite meetings between representatives of governments, employers and workers, including
industrial committees to study the problems facing major industries, regional meetings and meetings
of experts;
– action-oriented studies and research; and
– clearing-house activities, especially through the International Occupational Safety and Health
Information Centre (CIS) and the Clearing-house for the Dissemination of Information of Conditions
of Work.
This publication is the outcome of a PIACT project.
Recording and notification
of occupational accidents and diseases
An ILO Codes of Practice
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ILO
Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases. An ILO code of practice
Geneva, International Labour Office, 1996
The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice,
and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part
of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its
authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers.
The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely
with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office
of the opinions expressed in them.
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the International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or
process is not a sign of disapproval.
ILO publications can be obtained through major booksellers or ILO local offices in many countries, or
direct from ILO Publications, International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. Catalogues
or lists of new publications are available free of charge from the above address.
1
Experts appointed following consultations with governments:
Dr. András Békés (Chairman and Reporter), Deputy Director-General, Hungarian Labour Inspectorate,
Budapest (Hungary).
Dr. Adel Djemaa, Physician Labour Inspector, Medical Labour Inspectorate of Sfax, Sfax (Tunisia).
Dr. Burkhard Hoffmann, Institute of the Accident Insurance Employment Fund for Safety and Health
Protection, Sankt Augustin (Germany).
Dr. Alfonso Munevar Umba, Coordinator, Division of Labour Affairs, Legal Office, Colombian Institute
for Social Security, Santafé de Bogotá (Colombia).
Mr. Zakaria Nanyan, Director-General, Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Kuala Lumpur
(Malaysia).
Mr. Timothy John Williams, Manager, WORKSAFEAustraIia, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia).
Mr. Robert Whitmore, Economist, US Department of Labor, Washington, DC (United States).
V
Recording and notification
The experts highlighted that the collection, recording and notification of data
concerning occupational accidents and diseases were instrumental in prevention and that
it was also important to identify and study the causes of such accidents and diseases in
order to develop preventive measures. They accordingly amended a draft prepared by
the Office and adopted the code of practice, noting that its provisions should be
considered as the basic requirements for the collection, recording and notification of
reliable data on occupational accidents and diseases, and related statistics. In addition,
recommendations were made concerning equivalent requirements for the recording and
notification of commuting accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents.
The code gives more prominence to the effective use of collected, recorded and
notified data for preventive action than to the elaboration of statistics. As such it serves
as a useful instrument to the competent authorities in developing systems for recording
and notification of occupational accidents and diseases. It also provides valuable
guidance for joint action by employers and workers and for activities carried out by
governments, social security institutions and other organizations aimed at the overall
prevention of occupational accidents and diseases.
With respect to the relationship between arrangements prescribed under the
Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964 (No. 121), and those for the recording
and notification of data for occupational statistics, the experts opted to omit reference to
single and specific systems in the text of the code. Support was voiced in favour of a
system which accommodates all information.
The report on the meeting indicates very clearly the various problem areas
encountered during the deliberations and reflects the reasons for the final wording of the
code. An extract from the report is therefore reproduced here with a view to providing
clarification and additional guidance to its users.
The practical recommendations of this code of practice are intended for the use of
all those who have responsibility for the reporting, recording and notification of
occupational accidents and diseases. The code is not a legally binding document and is
not intended to replace national laws, regulations or accepted standards. Its provisions
are considered as the basic requirements for recording and notification of occupational
accidents and diseases, and are not intended to discourage competent authorities from
Mr. Khalid Mahmood, All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions, Lahore (Pakistan).
Mr. Tom Mellish, Trades Union Congress, London (United Kingdom).
Dr. Héctor San Román Arriaga, Confederation of Mexican Workers, Mexico City (Mexico).
Dr. Deborah ValIance, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia).
ILO representatives:
Dr. Chandradasa Pinnagoda, Chief, Occupational Safety and Health Branch.
Dr. Jürgen Serbitzer, Head of the Engineering Section, Occupational Safety and Health Branch.
VI
Preface
adopting higher standards. The code has been drawn up with the object of providing
guidance to those who may be engaged in the framing of provisions and the setting up of
systems, procedures and arrangements for the recording and notification of occupational
accidents and diseases, commuting accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents, and
their investigation and prevention. It is of particular relevance to competent authorities,
other governmental or public authorities such as social security institutions,
management, employers and workers, and their organizations.
Local circumstances and the availability of financial and technical resources will
determine how far it is practicable to follow the provisions of the code. Furthermore,
these provisions should be read in the context of the conditions in the country proposing
to use the information. With this in mind, consideration has been taken of the needs of
developing countries and of countries which intend to establish or to modify their
systems on the recording and notification of occupational accidents, occupational
diseases, commuting accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents.
The text of the code was approved for publication by the Governing Body of the
ILO at its 261st Session (November 1994).
VII
Contents
Preface.........................................................................................................................V
Extract from the report of the Meeting of Experts on the Recording and
Notification of Occupational Accidents and Diseases (Geneva, 3-11
October 1994) .................................................................................................... XI
1. General provisions .............................................................................................. 1
1.1. Objectives ............................................................................................... 1
1.2. Scope....................................................................................................... 1
1.3. Definitions .............................................................................................. 2
2. Policy on recording, notification and investigation of occupational
accidents, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences, and
related statistics ................................................................................................... 5
2.1. Policy and principles at national level .................................................... 5
2.2. Policy and principles at enterprise level ................................................. 7
3. Legal, institutional and administrative arrangements for setting up
reporting, recording and notification systems.................................................. 8
3.1. General.................................................................................................... 8
3.2. Classification of information to be recorded and notified ...................... 9
4. Reporting at the level of the enterprise........................................................... 11
5. Arrangements for recording ............................................................................ 12
5.1. At national level.................................................................................... 12
5.2. At the level of the enterprise................................................................. 13
6. Arrangements for notification ......................................................................... 15
6.1. At national level.................................................................................... 15
6.2. At the level of the enterprise................................................................. 16
6.3. Notification of occupational accidents ................................................. 16
6.3.1. General ..............................................................................................16
6.3.2. Minimum information.......................................................................17
6.3.3. More detailed information ...............................................................18
6.4. Notification of occupational diseases ................................................... 19
6.5. Notification of dangerous occurrences ................................................. 20
7. Extension of recording and notification systems to self-employed
persons ............................................................................................................... 21
7.1. At national level.................................................................................... 21
7.2. At the level of the enterprise................................................................. 21
7.3. The self-employed person..................................................................... 21
8. Statistics of occupational accidents, occupational diseases, commuting
accidents and dangerous occurrences: Compilation and publication.......... 23
8.1. At national level.................................................................................... 23
8.2. Recording and notification of more detailed information in a
progressive manner ............................................................................... 24
IX
Recording and notification
X
Extract from the report of the Meeting of Experts on the Recording
and Notification of Occupational Accidents and Diseases
(Geneva, 3-11 October 1994)
XI
Recording and notification
ILO codes of practice and for the reason that the subject of environmental exposure was
outside the scope of a code of practice on the recording and notification of occupational
accidents and diseases.
14. The role of social security institutions in the field of prevention of occupational
accidents and diseases was highlighted. Work in this area also strove to encourage
governments to harmonize statistical systems and definitions for non-occupational
accidents such as traffic, home and leisure accidents in order to allow for an improved
use of statistical data for prevention purposes which was particularly useful in the
prevention of commuting accidents, which were not under the control of the employer.
15. Following an extensive discussion of the list of definitions provided in the
code, the experts agreed, in some instances, to adhere to the text used in previous ILO
instruments in order to maintain consistency. It was pointed out that the definitions of
other terms were designed to be, as far as reasonably possible, compatible with the
language appearing in some national legislations in an attempt to promote harmony in
the collection of data on recording and notification of occupational accidents,
occupational diseases, commuting accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents. In
this regard the experts found it necessary to encourage the competent authorities to be
consistent, in drawing up their concepts and terminologies concerning the recording and
notification of occupational data, with the definitions appearing in this code, and in other
international instruments, for the purpose of harmonization. The experts also agreed to
delete the reference, in this code, to the definitions of some of the terms, especially in
cases where they were sufficiently elaborated upon in the body of the document.
Following an extensive discussion of the term “workers’ representative” and an attempt
by a working group to formulate a new definition, the Meeting decided to cite the
Workers’ Representatives Convention, 1971 (No. 135). In response to queries by some
experts regarding the coverage of the term “national” throughout the code, the Legal
Adviser conveyed to the Meeting that the term covered state and federal systems.
16. In discussing the policy on recording, notification and investigation of
occupational accidents and diseases, the experts endorsed a number of provisions which
adapted the text already used in the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981
(No. 155), and the Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161). They
agreed that it was the task of the competent authority to establish and implement a
national system for the recording, notification and investigation of occupational
accidents, occupational diseases, commuting accidents, dangerous occurrences and
incidents. They also decided that tripartite bodies and other involved organizations had
an important role in promoting the coordination and implementation of national policies
in this field. Consequently, the need for employers and workers and their organizations
to work together was reaffirmed. The Meeting drew attention to the contribution of re-
cording and notification and investigation of occupational accidents and diseases to the
promotion of prevention.
17. The experts also agreed that implementation of the national system referred to
under paragraph 16 above should be carried out by the employer in consultation with the
workers and their representatives. Furthermore, it was decided that whenever two or
more employers undertook activities simultaneously at one workplace, they should
cooperate in implementing the national policy, and that the mechanism for such
cooperation should be prescribed by the competent authority.
XII
Extract from the Report
XIII
Recording and notification
trends on occupational safety and health issues which were peculiar to small and
medium-sized establishments.
24. There was a general consensus to delete the section on the investigation for
preventive action in Chapter 6 since the questions were seen to be incriminating and as
such would discourage the respondents from providing information. This would
consequently lead to under-reporting. For the same reason, questions which were in-
criminating in nature were deleted from other sections.
25. The experts noted that it was the responsibility of the person in control of an
establishment where a self-employed person was contracted to work to make
arrangements at the enterprise level for the reporting, recording and notification of
occupational accidents, occupational diseases, commuting accidents, dangerous oc-
currences and incidents. It was also noted that the self-employed person should be
responsible for making suitable arrangements for notification at his or her own
enterprise.
26. In discussing the compilation and publication of statistics, the experts agreed to
define the period covered by the statistics as one calendar year in order to promote
harmonization among different countries. Whilst they recognized that the reference to
the frequency, incidence and severity rates in the draft code could give a measure of the
time lost due to occupational accidents and diseases, the experts agreed not to require
information on their direct and indirect costs since the document did not provide for the
mechanism needed to compile the necessary data.
27. The Meeting decided to insert the terms “commuting accidents” and
“incidents” in the title dealing with investigation in order to reflect the scope of the
chapter on this subject. In discussing the arrangements for investigations to be carried
out by labour inspectorates or by other authorized agencies, the experts also agreed that
representatives of the employers and the workers should have the opportunity to
accompany the investigators provided that, in the opinion of the investigator, such
arrangement was not prejudicial to the investigation. Similarly, it was agreed that, where
the investigation was entrusted to bodies other than labour inspectorates or authorized
agencies, arrangements should allow for the participation of the representatives of the
affected employers and the representatives of the affected workers in the investigation.
28. There was a general consensus that in carrying out their investigations,
employers should report on the necessary measures identified to prevent the recurrence
of occupational accidents and diseases. The Meeting also asserted that the workers’
representatives should have the right, the facilities and necessary time, without loss of
pay, to participate in such investigations.
XIV
1. General provisions
1.1. Objectives
1.2. Scope
1.2.1. The provisions of this code apply to all branches of economic activity, all
enterprises and all workers regardless of their status of employment.
1
Recording and notification
1.2.3. In this code, notification to the competent authorities covers all fatal
occupational accidents, occupational accidents causing loss of working time and all
occupational diseases included in a national list or covered by the prescribed definition
of such diseases.
1.3. Definitions
1.3.1. In this code, the following terms have the meanings hereby assigned to
them:
Commuting accident: An accident occurring on the direct way between the place
of work and
(a) the worker’s principal or secondary residence;
(b) the place where the worker usually takes his/her meals; or
(c) the place where the worker usually receives his/her remuneration,
which results in death or personal injury involving loss of working time. Traffic
accidents in which workers are involved during working hours and which occur in the
course of paid work are considered as occupational accidents.
Competent authority: A minister, government department or other public authority
with the power to issue regulations, orders or other instructions having the force of law.
Under national laws or regulations, the competent authorities may be appointed with
responsibilities for specific activities, such as for implementation of national policy and
procedures for reporting, recording and notification, workers’ compensation, and the
elaboration of statistics.
Competent person: A person with suitable training and sufficient knowledge,
experience and skill for the performance of the specific work, in good safety conditions.
The competent authority may define appropriate criteria for the designation of such
persons and may determine the duties to be assigned to them.
Dangerous occurrence: Readily identifiable event as defined under national laws
and regulations, with potential to cause an injury or disease to persons at work or the
public.
Employer: Any physical or legal person who employs one or more workers.
Enterprise:1 An institutional unit or the smallest combination of institutional units
that encloses and directly or indirectly controls all necessary functions to carry out its
own production activities.
1
For full details see United Nations: International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic
Activities, Statistical Papers, Series M, No. 4, Rev. 3 (New York, 1990). See Annex C of this code.
2
General provisions
1
ibid.
3
Recording and notification
1
See Annex E of this code.
4
2. Policy on recording, notification and investigation of occupational
accidents, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences, and
related statistics
2.1.3. With a view to ensuring the coherence of the policy and of measures for its
implementation, the competent authority should:
(a) establish the respective functions and responsibilities of the public authorities
involved, employers and workers and their organizations and others, taking
5
Recording and notification
2.1.5. The provisions made should be adequate and appropriate to the specific
type of enterprise and workers’ status in employment.
2.1.8. The competent authority should secure the enforcement of national laws or
regulations concerning the policy through an adequate and appropriate system of
inspection.
2.1.9. The system of enforcement should provide for adequate penalties for
violations of national laws and regulations concerning the policy.
2.1.10. The situation regarding the policy and its implementation should be
reviewed at appropriate intervals by the competent authority, either overall or in respect
of particular areas, with a view to identifying major problems, evolving effective
methods for dealing with them, setting priorities for action, and evaluating results.
6
Policy
2.2.1. For the implementation of the national policy and the principles established
by the competent authority, the employer, following consultations with the workers or
their representatives, should make adequate arrangements at enterprise level under
which:
(a) workers, in the course of their work, cooperate with the employer in the fulfilment
of the obligations placed upon them;
(b) workers and their representatives and the employer cooperate in the
implementation of the established principles;
(c) workers and their representatives in the enterprise are provided with adequate
information on measures taken by the employer to implement the policy and
established principles, and may consult their representative organizations about
such information;
(d) workers and their representatives in the enterprise are given appropriate training in
the implementation of the established principles.
2.2.2. Measures for the implementation of the policy should not involve any
expenditure for workers.
7
3. Legal, institutional and administrative arrangements for setting
up reporting, recording and notification systems
3.1. General
3.1.3. These requirements and procedures should be applied to all workers in all
branches of economic activity, regardless of their status in employment, and throughout
the country as a whole.
8
Legal, institutional and administrative arrangements
3.1.5. The competent authority should periodically review the prescribed list of
occupational diseases and extend it progressively. It may wish to consider the contents
of Annex B of this code as an example of proposed occupational diseases for inclusion
in such a list.
3.1.7. The competent authority should, through national laws and regulations,
seek the coordination of arrangements prescribed under the Employment Injury Benefits
Convention, 1964 (No. 121), and arrangements for the recording and notification of
occupational accidents, occupational diseases, commuting accidents, dangerous
occurrences and incidents.
3.2.1. The competent authority should make appropriate arrangements for the
classification of information of which it is notified and should promote the classification
of specified kinds of information kept as records at the enterprise level. The
9
Recording and notification
classification to be used should accord with the most recent versions of adopted
international classifications or with classification systems given in this code as follows:
10
4. Reporting at the level of the enterprise
4.1. The employer, after consultation with the workers or their representatives in the
enterprise, should set up arrangements, in accordance with national laws or regulations,
to enable workers to comply with the requirements to report forthwith to their immediate
supervisor, without detriment to themselves, any situation which they have reasonable
justification to believe presents an imminent and serious danger to life or health.
4.2. The employer, after consultation with the workers or their representatives in the
enterprise, should set up arrangements, in accordance with national laws or regulations,
to enable workers to comply with the requirements to report any occupational injury,
suspected case of occupational disease, commuting accident, dangerous occurrence and
incident.
11
5. Arrangements for recording
5.1.1. National laws or regulations should require that employers establish and
maintain records on occupational accidents, occupational diseases, commuting
accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents, as determined by the competent
authority.
5.1.2. To ensure that all required data and information are collected
systematically, and to provide the methodology for investigating occupational
accidents, occupational diseases, dangerous occurrences and incidents, national laws or
regulations should prescribe which data and information are to be recorded. Where
forms are used for this purpose they should be standardized.
12
Arrangements for recording
5.2.4. In cases in which more than one worker is injured in a single occupational
accident, a record should be made for each of the injured workers.
5.2.7. Workers in the course of performing their work should cooperate with the
employer in carrying out the arrangements within the enterprise for recording and
notification of occupational accidents, occupational diseases and dangerous
occurrences.
5.2.8. The employer should give appropriate information to workers and their
representatives concerning:
(a) the arrangements for recording; and
(b) the competent person identified by the employer to receive and record
information on occupational accidents, occupational diseases, commuting
accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents.
13
Recording and notification
14
6. Arrangements for notification
15
Recording and notification
6.2.1. The employer, after consultation with the workers and their
representatives, should set up arrangements within the enterprise, in accordance with
national laws or regulations, to notify occupational accidents, occupational diseases,
dangerous occurrences and commuting accidents, as appropriate.
6.3.1. General
6.3.1.2. Notification should be made within such time as may be specified, and
in prescribed specific forms, such as:
16
Arrangements for notification
1
See paragraph 3.2.1(a) and Annex C.
2
See paragraph 3.2.1(c) and Annex E.
3
See paragraph 3.2.1(b) and Annex D.
4
See Annex F.
5
See Annex G.
6
See Annex H.
17
Recording and notification
6.3.3.1. National laws or regulations should provide for the specification of more
detailed information, which should include the following:
(a) enterprise, establishment and employer:
(i) name and address of the employer, and his or her telephone and fax
numbers (if available);
(ii) name and address of the enterprise;
(iii) name and address of the establishment (if different);
(iv) economic activity of the establishment;2 and
(v) number of workers (size of the establishment);
(b) injured person:
(i) name, address, sex and date of birth;
(ii) employment status;3
(iii) occupation;4
(iv) length of service for present employer;
(c) injury:
(i) fatal accident;
(ii) non-fatal accident;
(iii) nature of the injury (e.g. fracture, etc.);5
(iv) location of the injury (e.g. leg, etc.);6
(v) incapacity for work in calendar days;
(d) accident and its sequence:
(i) geographical location of the place of the accident (usual workplace, another
workplace within the establishment or outside the establishment);
(ii) date and time;
1
See Annex I.
2
See paragraph 3.2.1(a) and Annex C.
3
See paragraph 3.2.1(c) and Annex E.
4
See paragraph 3.2.1(b) and Annex D.
5
See Annex F.
6
See Annex G.
18
Arrangements for notification
(iii) shift, start time of work of the injured person and hours worked in the
activity in which the accident occurred;
(iv) work environment (e.g. workshop area, office, road, etc.);
(v) work process (e.g. welding, maintenance, manual transport, etc.);
(vi) activity of the injured person at time of the accident (e.g. welding,
maintaining press, operating machine, driving, walking, etc.);
(vii) item or items associated with activity of the injured person (e.g. machine,
tool, power press, vehicle, etc.);
(viii) action leading to injury – type of accident (e.g. fall, etc.);1
(ix) agency related to injury (e.g. ladder, etc.).2
19
Recording and notification
1
See paragraph 3.2.1(a) and Annex C.
2
See paragraph 3.2.1(c) and Annex E.
20
7. Extension of recording and notification systems to self-employed
persons
7.3.1. The self-employed person should cooperate with the person in control of
the establishment where he or she is contracted to work, to enable notification of
1
As may be defined by the most recent version of the International Classification of Status in
Employment (ICSE) – see Annex E.
21
Recording and notification
22
8. Statistics of occupational accidents, occupational diseases,
commuting accidents and dangerous occurrences:
Compilation and publication
8.1.1. The competent authority should arrange for the compilation and
publication, at least once a year, of statistics of occupational accidents, occupational
diseases, commuting accidents and dangerous occurrences, on the basis of the
information notified to it.
8.1.4. Where one person has suffered more than one separate occupational
accident or disease during the period covered by the statistics, he or she should be
counted separately with respect to each accident or disease.
8.1.5. The period covered by the statistics should be clearly defined, and ideally
should not exceed one calendar year.
23
Recording and notification
(d) the methods used for recording and notifying occupational accidents,
occupational diseases, commuting accidents and dangerous occurrences, and for
compiling the statistics;
(e) the quality of the statistics;
(f) the prior statistics, where available.
24
9. Statistics of occupational accidents, occupational diseases and
dangerous occurrences: Classifications1
9.1. General
1
Based on the resolution concerning statistics of occupational injuries. Thirteenth International
Conference of Labour Statisticians, Geneva, 18-29 October 1982.
25
Recording and notification
(a) the total for each item under paragraphs 9.2.2(a) and 9.2.2(b) above; and
(b) its respective breakdown.
9.2.4. The competent authority should make clear whether lost time shown in
statistics of occupational accidents is measured in calendar days, weekdays, working
days or work shifts.
9.2.5. The period covered by the statistics of occupational accidents should not
exceed a calendar year.
9.3.2. The period covered by the statistics of occupational diseases should not
exceed a calendar year.
9.4.1. The competent authority should publish statistics of the numbers and
types of dangerous occurrence that have been notified.
26
10. Investigation of occupational accidents, occupational diseases,
commuting accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents
10.1.5. The competent authority should hold inquiries, and publish reports on
those inquiries, into cases of occupational accidents, occupational diseases, commuting
accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents which appear to reflect serious
situations in terms of actual or potential risk to workers or the public.
27
Recording and notification
10.2.3. Where the employer lacks the necessary expertise within the enterprise
to carry out a thorough investigation, he or she should call upon the assistance of a
person with appropriate expertise, if necessary from outside the enterprise.
10.2.4. The employer should arrange for the site of an occupational accident or
a dangerous occurrence to be left undisturbed before the start of the investigation, apart
from the requirements for first aid or to prevent further risk to persons.
10.2.5. Where for reasons of first aid, or to prevent further risk to persons, it is
necessary to disturb the site before the start of the investigation, the employer should
arrange for a competent person to make a record of the site, including where necessary
photographs, drawings and the identities of eyewitnesses prior to any intervention.
10.2.7. The employer should ensure that arrangements are in place at the
enterprise for an immediate investigation of reported occupational accidents,
occupational diseases, dangerous occurrences and incidents.
10.2.8. The employer should ensure that the report required under paragraph
10.1.6 of this code is sent to the competent authority by the quickest practicable means.
28
Investigation
10.3.2. Workers in the course of their work should assist the employer and
persons acting on his or her behalf in the investigation of occupational accidents,
occupational diseases, dangerous occurrences and incidents.
29
Bibliography
30
Relevant international labour Conventions and Recommendations
Conventions
No. Title
Recommendations
No. Title
31
Annexes
33
Annex A: Schedule I: List of occupational diseases (amended 1980)1
1
Schedule I to the Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964 (No. 121).
2
In the application of this Schedule the degree and type of exposure should be taken into account
when appropriate.
35
Recording and notification
2
Occupational diseases Work involving exposure to risk
13. Diseases caused by lead or its toxic All work involving exposure
compounds to the risk concerned
26. Skin diseases caused by physical, chemical or All work involving exposure
biological agents not included under other to the risk concerned
items
36
Annex A
2
Occupational diseases Work involving exposure to risk
37
Annex B: Proposed list of occupational diseases1
1
List of occupational diseases proposed by the Informal Consultation on the Revision of the List of
Occupational Diseases, appended to the Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964 (No. 121),
Geneva, 9-12 December 1991.
38
Annex B
39
Recording and notification
2.2.1. Skin diseases caused by physical, chemical or biological agents not included
under other items
2.2.2. Occupational vitiligo
40
Annex B
(e) vibration
Local or environmental cold may potentiate risk
3. Occupational cancer
3.1.1. Asbestos
3.1.2. Benzidine and salts
3.1.3. Bis chloromethyl ether (BCME)
3.1.4. Chromium and chromium compounds
3.1.5. Coal tars and coal tar pitches; soot
3.1.6. Betanaphthylamine
3.1.7. Vinyl chloride
3.1.8. Benzene or its toxic homologues
3.1.9. Toxic nitro- and amino-derivatives of benzene or its homologues
3.1.10. Ionizing radiations
3.1.11. Tar, pitch, bitumen, mineral oil, anthracene, or the compounds, products or
residues of these substances
3.1.12. Coke oven emissions
3.1.13. Compounds of nickel
3.1.14. Dust from wood
3.1.15. Cancer caused by any other agents not mentioned in the preceding items 3.1.1 to
3.1.14, where a direct link between the exposure of a worker to this agent and
the cancer suffered is established
4. Others
41
Annex C: International Standard Industrial Classification of all
Economic Activities (third revision)1
1
For full details see United Nations, Statistical Papers, Series M, No. 4, Rev. 3 (New York, 1990).
42
Annex C
1
Not elsewhere classified.
43
Recording and notification
44
Annex C
45
Annex D: International Standard Classification of Occupations
(ISCO-88), major, sub-major and minor groups
46
Annex D
47
Recording and notification
Major group 5: Service workers and shop and market sales workers
51 Personal and protective services workers
511 Travel attendants and related workers
512 Housekeeping and restaurant services workers
513 Personal care and related workers
514 Other personal service workers
515 Astrologers, fortune-tellers and related workers
516 Protective services workers
52 Models, salespersons and demonstrators
521 Fashion and other models
522 Shop salespersons and demonstrators
523 Stall and market salespersons
48
Annex D
49
Recording and notification
50
Annex E: International Classification of Status in Employment
(ICSE)1
2. The ICSE classifies jobs held by persons at a point in time. A job is classified
with respect to the type of explicit or implicit contract of employment of the person
with other persons or organizations. The basic criteria used to define the groups of the
classification are the type of economic risk, an element of which is the strength of the
attachment between the person and the job, and the type of authority over
establishments and other workers which the job incumbents have or will have.
3. The ICSE-93 classifies persons by virtue of their actual and potential relations
with jobs according to the rules set out in section V.
4. The ICSE-93 consists of the following groups, which are defined in section III:
(1) employees;
among whom countries may need and be able to distinguish “employees
with stable contracts” (including “regular employees”);
(2) employers;
(3) own-account workers;
(4) members of producers’ cooperatives;
(5) contributing family workers;
(6) workers not classifiable by status.
5. The groups in the ICSE-93 are defined with reference to the distinction
between “paid employment” jobs on the one side and “self-employment” jobs on the
1
Excerpt from the resolution concerning the International Classification of Status in Employment
(ICSE). Fifteenth Intemational Conference of Labour Statisticians, Geneva, 19-28 January 1993.
2
For linguistic convenience the group titles and definitions have been formulated in a way which
corresponds to the situation where each person holds only one job during the reference period. Rules for
classifying persons with two or more jobs are given in section V.
51
Recording and notification
other. Groups are defined with reference to one or more aspects of the economic risk
and/or the type of authority which the explicit or implicit employment contract gives
the incumbents or to which it subjects them.
6. Paid employment jobs are those jobs where the incumbents hold explicit
(written or oral) or implicit employment contracts which give them a basic
remuneration which is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which
they work (this unit can be a corporation, a non-profit institution, a government unit or
a household). Some or all of the tools, capital equipment, information systems and/or
premises used by the incumbents may be owned by others, and the incumbents may
work under direct supervision of, or according to strict guidelines set by the owner(s) or
persons in the owners’ employment. (Persons in “paid employment jobs” are typically
remunerated by wages and salaries, but may be paid by commission from sales, by
piece-rates, bonuses or in-kind payments such as food, housing or training.)
8. (1) Employees are all those workers who hold the type of job defined as “paid
employment jobs” (cf. paragraph 6). Employees with stable contracts are those
“employees” who have had, and continue to have, an explicit (written or oral) or
implicit contract of employment, or a succession of such contracts, with the same
employer on a continuous basis. “On a continuous basis” implies a period of
employment which is longer than a specified minimum determined according to
national circumstances. (If interruptions are allowed in this minimum period, their
maximum duration should also be determined according to national circumstances.)
Regular employees are those “employees with stable contracts” for whom the em-
ploying organization is responsible for payment of relevant taxes and social security
contributions and/or where the contractual relationship is subject to national labour
legislation.
9. (2) Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with
one or a few partners, hold the type of job defined as a “self-employment job” (cf.
paragraph 7) and, in this capacity, on a continuous basis (including the reference
period) have engaged one or more persons to work for them in their business as
“employee(s)” (cf. paragraph 8). The meaning of “engage on continuous basis” is to be
determined by national circumstances, in a way which is consistent with the definition
of “employees with stable contracts” (cf. paragraph 8). (The partners may or may not be
members of the same family or household.)
10. (3) Own-account workers are those workers who, working on their own
account or with one or more partners, hold the type of job defined as a “self-
employment job” (cf. paragraph 7), and have not engaged on a continuous basis any
“employees” (cf. paragraph 8) to work for them during the reference period. It should
52
Annex E
be noted that during the reference period the members of this group may have engaged
“employees”, provided that this is on a non-continuous basis. (The partners may or may
not be members of the same family or household.)
11. (4) Members of producers’ cooperatives are workers who hold a “self-
employment” job (cf. paragraph 7) in a cooperative producing goods and services, in
which each member takes part on an equal footing with other members in determining
the organization of production, sales and/or other work of the establishment, the
investments and the distribution of the proceeds of the establishment amongst their
members. (It should be noted that “employees” (cf. paragraph 8) of producers’
cooperatives are not to be classified to this group.)
12. (5) Contributing family workers are those workers who hold a “self-
employment” job (cf. paragraph 7) in a market-oriented establishment operated by a
related person living in the same household, who cannot be regarded as a partner,
because their degree of commitment to the operation of the establishment, in terms of
working time or other factors to be determined by national circumstances, is not at a
level comparable to that of the head of the establishment. (Where it is customary for
young persons, in particular, to work without pay in an economic enterprise operated by
a related person who does not live in the same household, the requirement of “living in
the same household” may be eliminated.)
13. (6) Workers not classifiable by status include those for whom insufficient
relevant information is available, and/or who cannot be included in any of the preceding
categories.
53
Recording and notification
(Note, for example, that to classify them as “employees” will be consistent with
their classification in the “System of National Accounts”, while they may be best
classified as “employers” or “own-account workers” for labour market analysis.)
Countries should, therefore, according to the needs of users of their statistics and
their data collection possibilities, endeavour to identify this group separately. This
will also facilitate international comparisons.
(b) Regular employees with fixed-term contracts are “regular employees” (cf.
paragraph 8) whose contract of employment specifies a particular date of
termination.
(c) Regular employees with contracts without limits of time are “regular employees”
(cf. paragraph 8) who have contracts which only can be terminated for specified
causes such as incompetence, serious misconduct, or for economic reasons
according to national legislation or custom.
(d) Workers in precarious employment can either be: (a) workers whose contract of
employment leads to the classification of the incumbent as belonging to the groups
of “casual workers” (cf. item (e)), “short-term workers” (cf. item (f) or “seasonal
workers” (cf. item (g)); or (b) workers whose contract of employment will allow
the employing enterprise or person to terminate the contract at short notice and/or
at will, the specific circumstances to be determined by national legislation and
custom.
(e) Casual workers are workers who have an explicit or implicit contract of
employment which is not expected to continue for more than a short period, whose
duration is to be determined by national circumstances. These workers may be
classified as being “employees” (cf. paragraph 8) or “own-account workers” (cf.
paragraph 10) according to the specific characteristics of the employment contract.
(f) Workers in short-term employment are workers who hold explicit or implicit
contracts of employment (cf. paragraph 6) which are expected to last longer than
the period used to define “casual workers” (cf. item (e)), but shorter than the one
used to define “regular employees” (cf. paragraph 8). These workers may be
classified as “employees” (cf. paragraph 8) or “own-account workers” (cf.
paragraph 10) according to the specific characteristics of the employment contract.
(g) Workers in seasonal employment are workers who hold explicit or implicit
contracts of employment where the timing and duration of the contract is
significantly influenced by seasonal factors such as the climatic cycle, public
holidays and/or agricultural harvests. These workers may be classified as
“employees” (cf. paragraph 8) or “own-account workers” (cf. paragraph 10)
according to the specific characteristics of the employment contract.
(h) Out-workers are workers who: (a) hold explicit or implicit contracts of employment
under which they agree to work for a particular enterprise, or to supply a certain
quantity of goods or services to a particular enterprise, by prior arrangement or
contract with that enterprise; but (b) whose place of work is not within any of the
54
Annex E
(i) Contractors are workers who: (a) have registered with the tax authorities (and/or
other relevant bodies) as a separate business unit responsible for the relevant forms
of taxes, and/or who have made arrangements so that their employing organization
is not responsible for relevant social security payments, and/or the contractual
relationship is not subject to national labour legislation applicable to e.g. “regular
employees” (cf. paragraph 9); but who (b) hold explicit or implicit contracts which
correspond to those of “paid employment”. These workers may be classified as in a
“self-employment” job (cf. paragraph 7) or as in a “paid employment” job (cf.
paragraph 6) according to national circumstances.
(j) Workers who hold explicit or implicit contracts of “paid employment” (cf.
paragraph 6) from one organization, but who work at the site of and/or under
instructions from a second organization which pays the first organization a fee for
their services, may be classified separately from other “employees”, and according
to whether the primary organization is a temporary work agency or another type of
enterprise.
(k) Work gang (crew) members are workers who are members of a group of workers
who have been engaged as a group on terms corresponding to those of “paid
employment” and where the employing organization has entered into a contract
only with the crew leader or with an organizing agent for the crew, and not with the
individual worker.
(l) Countries may need and be able to classify separately workers participating in
public or private employment promotion or job training schemes on terms of
employment which correspond to “paid employment” jobs. This group of workers
may be designated employment promotion employees. Workers who receive
support from such schemes to establish their own business should be classified as
being in a “self-employment” job (cf. paragraph 7) as “employer” (cf. paragraph 9)
or “own-account worker” (cf. paragraph 10) as appropriate.
(n) Employers of regular employees are those “employers” who during the reference
period have engaged at least one person to work for them in their business on
55
Recording and notification
explicit or implicit terms such that this person will be classified as having a job as a
“regular employee” as defined under paragraph 8.
(o) Core own-account workers are those “own-account workers” (cf. paragraph 10)
who work predominantly for the market independently of specific conditions
imposed by the suppliers of credit, raw materials, etc., or of one main customer,
and who rent or own their own equipment and other means of production.
(p) Franchisees are workers who have explicit or implicit contracts with the owners of
certain means of production (land, buildings, machinery, trade marks, etc.), holders
of operational licences or suppliers of credit, which to a significant extent
determine how the business is operated and require the payment of a specific part
of total sales. “Franchisees” who engage “employees” (cf. paragraph 8) on a
continuous basis should be classified as “employers” (cf. paragraph 9).
(q) Sharecroppers are workers who hold a “self-employment” job (cf. paragraph 7)
and in this capacity have explicit or implicit contracts with the owners of certain
means of production (land, buildings, machinery, etc.) or suppliers of credit or raw
materials, which to a significant extent determine how the business is operated and
require the payment of a part of total production.
(r) Communal resource exploiters are workers who hold a “self-employment” job (cf.
paragraph 7) and in this capacity use a natural resource (e.g. land, fishing grounds,
hunting and gathering areas) to which there are no individual property rights, but
for which their community or the State may have certain management
responsibilities.
(s) Subsistence workers are workers who hold a “self-employment” job (cf. paragraph
7) and in this capacity produce goods or services which are predominantly
consumed by their own household and constitute an important basis for its
livelihood.
(t) Countries may need and be able to supplement a national classification by status in
employment with the type of organization with which they are employed, in
particular whether “employees” are employed in the private or the public sector, or
whether the employing organization is partly owned by foreign individuals or
organizations (a “joint venture”) or fully owned by foreigners.
V. Classification of persons
(a) a person with only one classifiable job during the reference period should be
classified to the status in employment group of that job;
56
Annex E
(b) a person with two or more jobs during the reference period should be classified to
the status in employment group of that set of equally classified jobs at which he/she
has worked the longest hours, or which has provided the highest income from
employment during that period (or which can be expected to provide the highest
income from work carried out in that period, if payment can only be expected in
the future).
18. It is recommended that countries, as far as possible, design their data collection
and processing procedures so that they will be able to give estimates for those of the
following categories which are nationally significant:
(1) employees;
(2) employers;
(3) own-account workers;
(4) members of producers’ cooperatives;
(5) contributing family workers;
(6) workers not classifiable by status.
57
Recording and notification
users of their statistics, which of the separate groups reported contain the data for
persons in any of the groups not separately reported.
58
Annex F: Classification of industrial accidents according to the nature
of the injury1
This list is to be used to classify only injuries resulting from occupational accidents
or commuting accidents; in particular, occupational diseases are excluded.
1
Resolution concerning statistics of employment injuries. Tenth International Conference of Labour
Statisticians, Geneva, 2-12 October 1962.
59
Recording and notification
80. Effects of weather exposure, and related conditions (N980-N989) Includes effects
of reduced temperature (frostbite); the effects of heat and insolation (heatstrokes,
sunstrokes); barotrauma (effects of high altitude, decompression); the effects of
lightning; sound trauma (total or partial loss of hearing as a separate injury, not a
sequela of another injury).
60
Annex F
Note: The numbers N800-N999 refer to the categories of the Manual of the International Statistical
Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death.
61
Annex G: Classification of industrial accidents according to the bodily
location of the injury1
The groups relating to multiple locations should be used only to classify cases
where the victim suffers from several injuries to different parts of the body and no
injury obviously is more severe than the others. When in an accident which caused
multiple injuries located at different parts of the body one of these injuries is obviously
more severe than the others, this accident should be classified in the group
corresponding to the location of the obviously more severe injury. For example, a
fracture of the leg accompanied by a scratch of the hand should be classified in group
54.
1. Head
11 Cranium region (skull, brain, scalp)
12 Eye (including orbit and optic nerve)
13 Ear
14 Mouth (including lips, teeth and tongue)
15 Nose
16 Face, locations not classified elsewhere
18 Head, multiple locations
19 Head, unspecified location
3. Trunk
31 Back (spinal column and adjoining muscles, spinal cord)
32 Chest (ribs, sternum, internal organs of the chest)
33 Abdomen (including internal organs)
34 Pelvis
38 Trunk, multiple locations
39 Trunk, unspecified location
4. Upper limb
62
Annex G
43 Elbow
44 Forearm
45 Wrist
46 Hand (except fingers alone)
47 Fingers
48 Upper limb, multiple locations
49 Upper limb, unspecified location
5. Lower limb
51 Hip
52 Thigh (upper leg)
53 Knee
54 Leg (lower leg)
55 Ankle
56 Foot (except toes alone)
57 Toes
58 Lower limb, multiple locations
59 Lower limb, unspecified location
6. Multiple locations
61 Head and trunk, head and one or more limbs
62 Trunk and one or more limbs
63 One upper limb and one lower limb or more than two limbs
68 Other multiple locations
69 Multiple locations, unspecified
7. General injuries
71 Circulatory system in general
72 Respiratory system in general
73 Digestive system in general
74 Nervous system in general
78 Other general injuries
79 General injuries, unspecified
This group should be used only when the functioning of an active body system has
been affected without a specific injury (for example, poisoning, etc.); when the
63
Recording and notification
systematic damage results from an injury affecting a specific part of the body (for
example, a fracture of the spinal column involving injury to the spinal cord), the
location of the injury to this part of the body (in this case the spinal column) should be
coded.
This group should only be used when no information is available to identify the
part of the body affected.
Note: The proposed classification is limited to two digits. By adding another digit, countries desiring
to specify the location of the injury according to the side of the body it was sustained may do so:
(1) right side; (2) left side; (3) both sides. For example, a fracture of the right arm is classified
under the number 42(1), a sprain of the left ankle under 55(2), and a burn of both eyes under
12(3). However, if an additional digit is not used, injuries to both wrists, or both feet, etc.,
should not be classified into group 6 (multiple locations) but under the corresponding number
for an injury to one wrist (45), or one foot (56), etc., only.
64
Annex H: Classification of industrial accidents according to type of
accident1
This classification identifies the type of event which directly resulted in the injury,
i.e. the manner in which the object or substance causing the injury enters into contact
with the injured person.
1. Falls of persons
11 Falls of persons from heights (trees, buildings, scaffolds, ladders, machines,
vehicles) and into depths (wells, ditches, excavations, holes in the ground)
12 Falls of persons on the same level
1
Resolution concerning Statistics of employment injuries. Tenth International Conference of
Labour Statisticians, Geneva, 2-12 October 1962.
65
Recording and notification
66
Annex I: Classification of industrial accidents according to agency1
This classification may be used for classifying either the agency related to the
injury or the agency related to the accident:
(a) when this classification is used to classify an agency related to the injury, the items
selected for coding shall be those which directly inflicted the injury without regard
to their influence in initiating the event designated as the accident type (see Annex
H);
(b) when this classification is used to classify an agency related to the accident, the
items selected for coding shall be those which because of their hazardous nature or
condition precipitated the event designated as the accident type (see Annex H).
1. Machines
11 Prime-movers, except electrical motors
111 Steam engines
112 Internal combustion engines
113 Others
12 Transmission machinery
121 Transmission shafts
122 Transmission belts, cables, pulleys, pinions, chains, gears
129 Others
13 Metalworking machines
131 Power presses
132 Lathes
133 Milling machines
134 Abrasive wheels
135 Mechanical shears
136 Forging machines
137 Rolling-mills
139 Others
14 Wood and assimilated machines
141 Circular saws
1
Resolution conceming statistics of employment injuries.Tenth International Conference of Labour
Statisticians, Geneva, 2-12 October 1962.
67
Recording and notification
68
Annex I
233 Trucks
234 Motor vehicles, not elsewhere classified
235 Animal-drawn vehicles
236 Hand-drawn vehicles
239 Others
24 Means of air transport
25 Means of water transport
251 Motorized means of water transport
252 Non-motorized means of water transport
26 Other means of transport
261 Cable-cars
262 Mechanical conveyors, except cable-cars
269 Others
3. Other equipment
31 Pressure vessels
311 Boilers
312 Pressurized container
313 Pressurized piping and accessories
314 Gas cylinders
315 Caissons, diving equipment
319 Others
32 Furnaces, ovens, kilns
321 Blast furnaces
322 Refining furnaces
323 Other furnaces
324 Kilns
325 Ovens
33 Refrigerating plants
34 Refrigerating installations, including electric motors, but excluding electric
hand tools
341 Rotating machines
342 Conductors
343 Transformers
69
Recording and notification
5. Working environment
51 Outdoor
511 Weather
512 Traffic and working surfaces
513 Water
519 Others
52 Indoor
521 Floors
522 Confined quarters
70
Annex I
523 Stairs
524 Other traffic and working surfaces
525 Floor openings and wall openings
526 Environmental factors (lighting, ventilation, temperature, noise, etc.)
529 Others
53 Underground
531 Roofs and faces of mine roads and tunnels, etc.
532 Floors of mine roads and tunnels, etc.
533 Working faces of mines, tunnels, etc.
534 Mine shafts
535 Fire
536 Water
539 Others
71
Index
73
Recording and notification
74
Index
75
Recording and notification
76
Index
Training
of workers 2.2.1(d)
of workers’ representatives 2.2.1(d)
Tripartite consultation
on policy 2.1.1
on planning of legislation 3.1.1
on statistics 8.1.9, 8.2.2
Type of accident
classification 3.2.1(d), Annex H
notification 6.3
recording 5.1.3, 6.3
Workers
consultation with 2.2.1, 4.1, 4.2, 6.2.1
definition 1.3.1
guidance to 2.1.11
information to 3.1.9, 5.2.8, 5.2.9
investigation 10.3.2
obligation for cooperation 5.2.7
provision of information by 4.3(a)
recording 5.2.7, 5.2.8
reporting 4.1, 4.2
training 2.2.1(d)
Workers’ organizations
consultation with 2.1.1, 2.1.6, 3.1.1,
3.2.2, 8.1.9, 8.2.2
investigation 10.1.4
Workers’ representatives
consultations with 2.2.1, 4.1, 4.2, 6.2
definition 1.3.1
information to 3.1.9, 5.2.8, 5.2.9
investigation 10.1.3, 10.1.4, 10.3.1
recording 5.2.6, 5.2.8
reporting 4.1, 4.2
training 2.2.1(d)
Workers’ rights
to information 3.1.9, 5.2.6, 5.2.8
investigation 10.1.3
77
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